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The Young Boy and the Black Right Arm
This is the first chapter of Zombiepowder, and the first chapter of Volume 1, The Man With The Black Hand. In this chapter two of the main characters, John Elwood Shepherd and Gamma Akutabi, meet for the first time. Plot The chapter opens with a blurb about the Zombie Powder, known as the Devil's medicine, and Powder Hunters. In the first scene, Elwood is shown talking to Mujata Kinqro, as Kinqro counts the money that Elwood has made by pickpocketing. Kinqro comments that Elwood has a talent for "this" and that he won't let Elwood's sister know. Gamma steps off of the bus into town. The text reads, "Year AE-716, 8/2 (August 2), 3:16 P.M., Winstar State, Southern Area, Blue Note." Bystanders comment that Gamma is not a normal person. Their apprehension is increased when Gamma's coat is caught in the bus door, and as the bus drives away he is forced to sprint backwards, a skill no normal person has. Gamma enters a diner and begins a conversation with himself, saying that he doesn't think he will find a ring in this town. The bartender asks if he is a travelling jeweler. Gamma responds that he isn't and that he is looking for the Rings of the Dead. Upon his declaration the other customers jump up and point their guns at Gamma, while telling him to leave his own Rings of the Dead as payement for the meal. Gamma stands up ready to fight, but at that moment Elwood rushes into the scene, slams Gamma against the counter, and pickpockets him. Gamma, now with a bloody nose, yells at him to come back. The bartender tells him to give up on his wallet, as Elwood is a member of Kinqro's gang. Elwood, hidden in an alleyway, takes out the wallet, only to discover it's a fake with a piece of paper saying, "booby prize." Gamma appears behind him and waves his real wallet, while saying, "Here's the wallet you wanted." Elwood tries to run away, and when Gamma catches him again Elwood begs him not to tell the police. Gamma gets angry, but then he sees Elwood's scratched up hands and agrees, but on the condition that Elwood will owe him a favor. Gamma missed his meal, so he forces Elwood to feed him instead. As Elwood and Gamma walk away, a member of Kinqro's gang sees them and recognises Gamma. Elwood and Gamma walk to Elwood's house, where Gamma is introduced to Elwood's sister, Sheryl Shepherd. Elwood explains Gamma's presence by saying that Gamma had no money, so he felt bad for him. Elwood's sister expresses her amusement by saying, "It sure is rare for you to bring a friend over." Gamma introduces himself for the first time, to Elwood's perplexment, since he thought he had heard the name before. During Elwood's period of distraction, Gamma proceeds to flirt with Sheryl. After dinner, Gamma asks Elwood why he is a pickpocket. Elwood tries to deny that he makes a habit of pickpocketing, but Gamma tells him that he is too skilled to have only done it that one time. Elwood responds that he was taught how to pickpocket by Kinqro, the leader of the gang of thieves known as the Gray Ants Gang. The chapter cuts to Kinqro and his gang who think that Elwood is trying to "hog the reward bounty" on Gamma Akutabi. The gang expresses their disaproval, saying that they were the ones who taught Elwood how to survive after his shop went out of buisness. The chapter cuts back to Gamma and Elwood, as Elwood explains that the Gray Ants Gang tageted the family shop, and that because of that it went out of buisness in two weeks. Gamma asks if that's why Elwood joined up with them, but Elwood denies it and says that he just needed money for his sister's surgery. Her bad heart got worse after the Gray Ants Gang destroyed the shop. Gamma calls him naive, and says that those kind of people use up something they have until it's of no use anymore, and that they don't give up possessions until then. Gamma then forces Elwood to look at all of the injuries and bruises on Elwood's body, while asking him if this is the body of someone who is acting like a member of the gang. He tells Elwood that at this rate he will die before he can save his sister. Elwood tells him that this has nothing to do with him, at which Gamma agrees and apoligizes for butting in. He thanks Elwood for the dinner and walks away. The chapter once again cuts to the Gray Ants Gang, where Kinqro asks his armed and exuberant gang members if "Should we go? Hunting!" Elwood is sitting on the floor of his house thinking about Gamma's words, while his sister sleeps in a nearby bed, when a voice yells his name from the street. Kinqro then blasts a hole in Elwood's house with a blast from his bazooka. He tells Elwood that it is a beautiful morning. Elwood yells at Kinqro that his sister is sleeping. Sheryl wakes up and asks who these people are. She then says that they need to call the police, but her heart acts up and she can't say anything more. Kinqro says that it's dangerous and that he'll tell his gang to leave. He then tells Elwood that it's mean that Elwood hasn't told his sister about them. Sheryl asks him if he knows these people, but says that it can't be right. Upon hearing this Kinqro apologizes while laughing, saying that he just let the secret out. Elwood asks Kinqro why he is doing this, but Kinqro shoves him against a wall with one hand and says that's his line. He then holds up a bounty poster of Gamma and says that he heard Elwood was keeping a bounty from him. Elwood tries to tell Kinqro that he didn't know where Gamma went, but Kinqro doesn't believe him, and burns him with his giant cigarette. He then goes to punch Elwood, but Elwood's sister hits him over the head with a vase. While the Gray Ants Gang and Kinqro are stunned by the turn of events, Sheryl tells him to run, and that she believes in him. Kinqro gets mad and kills Elwood's sister with a shot from his gun. Kinqro taunts Elwood about wanting to heal Sheryl's heart, provoking Elwood into attacking him with his knives. Kinqro avoids the attacks by using one of his gang members as a human body shield. With his knives all used up, Elwood is forced to the ground by all the guns pointed at him. Kinqro tells him, "Haven't I told you, Elwood? You have no talent with knives." He asks Elwood one last time to tell him where Gamma is, but Elwood simply responds that it's pointless to tell him, because a pig can't understand a human. As Kinqro raises his gun to kill Elwood, Gamma jumps into the scene by kicking Kinqro into the wall. Gamma asks Kinqro to comfirm his identity, because he is going to collect the reward bounty on Kinqro. Kinqro yells that it's perfect timing and to fight him one on one like a man, but expresses confusion at Gamma's chain saw sword. Gamma tells him that he talks to much, so Kinqro says he'll attack on the count of three. On three he orders his henchmen to open fire on Gamma. A dust cloud covers Gamma, and the Gray Ants Gang think they killed him, but then they hear Gamma still counting. On reaching 30 Gamma asks if he can attack yet. When Kinqro expresses his disbelieve, Gamma ask why he has armor inserted into his right arm. He says, "Obviously it's so I can catch bullets with my bare hands!" All of the Gray Ants flee in terror at his words. Kinqro yells at them to wait, but Gamma just starts up his chain saw sword and tells him to fight one on one. Gamma crushes a bazooka blast from Kinqro with his bare hand and cuts down Kinqro. Later Gamma walks up to Elwood at Elwood's sister's grave. He hand him a sack of cash and tells him to start a new shop with it. Elwood hands it back saying that he doesn't want stolen money. Elwood instead asks Gamma to take him on the journey to find the Zombiepowder, because he wants to resurect her. Elwood says that he'll follow Gamma if Gamma doesn't take him, and defeat Gamma for the rings if Gamma tries to stop him. Gamma tells him it's a good answer and to meet him at the bar after he gets his stuff. Elwood walks away from the grave after telling his sister to wait for him. Result of Events Elwood and Gamma first meet. Elwood's sister is killed so he is no longer tied down to one place. He chooses to follow Gamma to search for the Rings of the Dead so he can resurrect Sheryl. Gamma defeats the Gray Ants Gang and kills the leader, Kinqro, inorder to collect the bounty. 01